Here's what you would expect to see at the big office furniture expo in Chicago: ergonomic chairs, stylish lighting, the latest in cubicle design.

Here's what you also get: the Guardian. It can be worn as a vest or draped on the back of your chair and is designed to protect today's office worker, teacher or security guard from gunfire.

You can use the vest to protect your back, or you can kneel behind it, and it's designed to thwart a .357 Magnum slug.

Rebecca Boenigk, who displayed the product at NeoCon, the three-day Chicago office furniture show that closes Wednesday, said it's designed for people who are increasingly at risk.

"Shootings are now a national problem, and it is has become important that employers do extra to protect their human capital," said Boenigk, 49, chief executive of Neutral Posture, a Texas-based maker of ergonomic chairs, office accessories and vests.

The idea for the product came from Mark Benden, an assistant professor at Texas A&M; University who teaches environmental and occupational health. "A combination of my six-year military experience coupled with the country's realities of mass shootings in both schools and workplaces inspired me," said Benden, who once was a combat medic and will receive royalties from sales.

"The Guardian's vest helps keep you safe while at the same time remaining concealed, ensuring the user does not scare away potential clients or colleagues," Benden said.

"You do not need to wear it around all the time," he said of the 7-pound jacket.

Increasingly, entrepreneurs are coming up with similar devices like bulletproof backpacks for children as well as bulletproof undershirts and vests, spurred by high-profile shootings such as last year's killing of 26 people at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Connecticut and the slaying of 12 people in a movie theater in Aurora, Colo.

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics said 405 people were killed in workplace shootings in 2010.

Paul Harvey, an associate professor of management at the University of New Hampshire, wrote in an email that "a few offices might be driven by fear to purchase something" like the Guardian. "From a cost/benefit perspective, though, I don't think many companies would see it as an effective investment in employee safety. Bulletproofing material is expensive and the likelihood of bulletproof seat coverings/vests preventing casualties is probably small."

Harvey also said he doubts whether many people would have the time or presence of mind to put on a vest should an attacker start shooting and that having such devices around would create an ominous workplace climate that could hurt recruiting efforts. "If a company is interested in this type of preventative measure I would think most would prefer to spend the money on guards or other entrance barriers," Harvey said.

Karen Bartuch, a former Chicago police officer who trains people on how to use weapons, said such a product would be useless in most situations because attackers tend to use assault weapons. "Something is better than nothing, but stopping just a .357 isn't saying much nowadays," said Bartuch, who is president and founder of the Women's Tactical Association.

The Guardian vest is sold along with a chair in two versions; one priced at $1,870 and another with a larger seat priced at $1,990.

Boenigk said she has set up a permanent showroom at Chicago's Merchandise Mart, which also hosted the furniture show. She says she has 600 dealers and 60 sales representatives across the country and has already sold 20 units of the Guardian to an upscale supermarket chain on the East Coast, which she declined to identify. She added that a "leading casino" in Las Vegas and one of the country's largest banks have asked for demonstrations.

The predominant theme at NeoCon was products aimed at helping people improve their health. Some notable examples were desks that easily move up and down in height, which allows workers to alternate between standing and sitting. A company called KI Furniture went a step further by including a mobile and tablet application that allows employees to track the amount of time they spend standing at their desks, so they can accumulate points for fitness programs.

Other innovations are aimed at improving the work environment, such as seats with arms that hold an iPad so users can alternate between working on tablets and computers.